Who wants to be a millionaire?...them!

Kaun Banega crorepati? Really speaking, there's no dearth of them. There are a lot too many, if you are to go by the remuneration figures of India Inc. We at SundayET did a dekko at the balancesheets of publicly-traded companies and dug out more than 250 top flight executives earning crore-plus figures in FY06. And with the compensation figures for the last financial year still coming in, this figure can only grow more. Uninteresting, you would say. No wonder!

So who wants to be a millionaire we asked. And chased heavy-hitters with $1 million plus equivalent rupee pay cheques. It's a small and exclusive list. Limited to around 20. So, don't be surprised when we fish out some of the biggest names of India Inc. There are a few surprises, nevertheless. But first things first, and no surprises for guessing who's perched right at top.

Next in the list: Mercator Lines' chairman and managing director H K Mittal and the company's joint managing director Atul Aggarwal. Both took home annual pay cheques of Rs 10.07 crore each, both incidentally, joining the league for the first time.

Their gross remuneration includes salary, allowances, commissions, contribution to PF and gratuity, and other perquisites. Compensation data for privately held companies is not publicly available, so what we've told you pertain to listed companies only.

Now if you glance at the list of India's most highly paid managers, one thing stands very clear. Notwithstanding the salary increases across corporate India that have taken place in recent times, the compensation packages of promoters and their family members far exceed those of professional managers.

Of the $1 million annual income earners in India Inc, everyone belongs to promoter families. Well, almost everyone. Cipla's Amar Lulla, the country's highest paid professional manager, is the sole exception.